Living on Block Island

Rhode Island is my favorite state, and Block Island, in particular, seems to me like the ultimate paradise and I%26#39;ve basically made up my mind to one day move there. But the more research on the island that I do, the more I discover that it%26#39;s more of a summer destination, the rest of the year neglected and left to prepare once more for the tourists.

I would like to know if the majority of the stores, restaurants and attractions on the island are year-round; if there is stuff to do (for example, is there a movie theatre? Or a movie rental store?); is everyting incredibly tourist-oriented; what%26#39;s there to look forward to? Are there jobs to be had on the island? And what is it like to live there?

Any and all information would be gladly appreciated.

Thanks!

Living on Block Island

I spent summers there for 20 years and have just started returning.

Block Island in the winter is a town of 850 people with, on many days, one boat a day. It%26#39;s VERY SMALL. A few things stay open in the winter, but not many. The BIG (the big grocery store) stays open all year. There is no cinema during the winter, but Netflix does deliver to the island! The library is a real community hub.

There are very few jobs and housing is very expensive. That%26#39;s one of the reasons many of the long time Islanders are still descendants of the original families! It isn%26#39;t an easy place to live in the winter if your family hasn%26#39;t owned a house for hundreds of years.

What there is to ';look forward to'; is peace. During the winter it%26#39;s VERY quiet. I remember my best friend as a teenager describing winters as ';when we write bad poetry, drink beers sitting on the edge of the bluffs, and sleep with the wrong people.'; A disproportionate number of people do some sort of art. It%26#39;s a very quiet but beautiful small town.

Living on Block Island

My wife and I just retired to Rhode Island and we absolutely love it. Unfortunately Block Island real estate is exremely high. Even with the market so low, you still have to pay steep prices for anything on the Block. This is true for most islands simply because there is just so much land. Plus Block is soooo isolated in the winter. I love visiting in the off season, but living there? I think it could be tough if you%26#39;re not prepared. As far as jobs I believe either fishing or tourism is pretty much it. Or if you have enough money some form of art.

However there are many other towns right on the ocean or both sides of Narragansett Bay that have much to offer. At far more resonable costs, especially in this market. And remember it%26#39;s a relatively short trip to Block from much of the state so you can visit whenever you desire.